Congratulations to Ryan and Catherine Nickason on the birth of their daughter, Carrington Delaney Nickason, on Friday, June 17, 2011, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Carrie weighed 8 lbs 8 ½ ozs and measured 18 inches in length. She is the sister of Caitelyn and the granddaughter of Dean and Ruth Pilkinton. We give thanks for a healthy delivery and a healthy baby girl.
Congratulations to Marvin Maphet and Gloria Griffith who were married in a private family ceremony on Saturday, June 18, 2011. Marvin is the father of Justin, Kelsey, Palmer, Alyssa, and Braden. Gloria is the mother of William, Ben, and Sarah. We celebrate the union of two friends who supported and cared for each other as they raised their families and in the process discovered love.
Congratulations to Kyle Smith, a member of Team Tennessee, a travel baseball squad that includes eleven high school players who played in the 15th Junior Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Oklahoma, last week. Kyle pitched and hit his way to the MVP Award in the tournament.
PreTeen Camp begins today (Monday), at Garner Creek. Thirty fifth and sixth grade students from HCN are attending. HCN campers include Sara Waller, Annie Cater, Biranna Post, Shelby Thompson, Carley Correnti, Ashley Wallace, Olivia Garrett, Ashlee Harrison, Morgan Houser, Anna Stephens, Shelby Rose, Abby Elkins, Marileigh Mabry, Madeleine Rouse, Gabrielle Satterlee, Keely Dozier, Taylor Shoemake, Bryce Poole, Grant Reigard, Michael Mathias, Cole Jackson, Evan Gibson, Joel Daugherty, Drew Silvernail, Ben Thompson, Teddy Joyce, TJ Hysell, Logan Evans, Jacob Paddon, and Joel Jones. HCN counselors are Eddie and Yana Witkowski, Becca Sharpe, and John Reigard.
Many of you have asked for the source and a copy of the story which concluded the message yesterday. It is an essay entitled “The Tire Iron and The Tamale” written by Justin Horner and published in the NY Times Sunday Magazine on March 6, 2011. Sheila Marlowe wrote this email to me this morning. I asked for her permission to print this. “When I heard the story you told about the man with car trouble, I couldn’t help but think about mine and Jordan’s experience week before last. I had just picked him up at Long Hunter from Cub Scout Day Camp and we ran out of gas on Hobson Pike. It was 95 degrees and there we sat on the side of the road. I had called my brother because Wendell was in a meeting in Lebanon. My brother had to come from my mom’s house so it took him awhile. There must have been over a hundred cars go by but only two stopped to see if they could help in any way. The first was a black lady with three kids in her car. I thanked her and told her I had help coming. The next was a black man in a pickup with his son who looked about ten years old. I told him my brother was on his way but he insisted on doing something, so he went to the cooler in his work truck and brought Jordan a Gatorade and me a bottle of water. I thanked him over and over and told him he was a blessing from God. There I was stranded in the heat with my seven year old grandson and only two people stopped. And they were not my skin color.” Jesus really does break down boundaries. “Today you, tomorrow me.”
I have promised you for weeks that Scott Steinmetz and I would sit down and find the official balance for completing our mission to others. The balance is $27, 500. I know it seems like a lot of money and an undoable feat except that we do it together. Please pay special attention to your giving over the next two weeks. It is a great time to give to missions or to catch up your tithes and offerings. We are still getting there.
I am not a golfer but I sure did enjoy watching Rory McIlroy win the U.S. Open on Sunday. He broke all sorts of records including the youngest winner at 22 years of age. He had a catastrophic fall at the Master’s this Spring, which makes this win all the sweeter. His humility and character match his superb game.
In Christ Jesus,
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